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Friday, February 22, 2013

University of Toronto Friend, Fred Owens, On Alumni Fundraising


(The following passage is from my friend, Fred Owens, whose insights can be accessed at http://froghospital911.blogspot.com/)

What bothered me about alumni affairs, the fundraising, and the reunions, was that it was all about success -- achievements, milestones, things you brag about.

I thought we could do a little better at St. Mikes and make the events about failures.  You were twenty pounds overweight, you just lost your job, your wife left you, your daughter is anorexic, your son is dealing drugs and you're clinically depressed. These things, at least some of them, have happened to all of us. (Fred is referring to Saint Michael’s College, one of the federated colleges comprising the University of Toronto. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_toronto

So you don't come to the reunion, and they don't put that sad news in the newsletter. And yet those moments are when you could really use a little backup from your classmates.

Success takes care of itself, but we ought to be there for each other during times of failure.

Those are my thoughts today as they put Bob Madden away -- he was a very good man, and I miss him already.




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